VAZATA Blog

Understanding Managed Hosting Services

by Alma Coronado

Managed Hosting Services is a term that invites different interpretations depending on the perspective, but it usually includes software, applications, databases, storage, websites and more. Often, businesses and individuals are speaking about the same thing when discussing managed hosting services, but referring to it as a different name. The confusion can be frustrating, however, the fact is, it doesn’t have to be. There are actually a few categories that can easily be understood once clearly defined.

Simply stated, hosting provides a place for your digital resources, from storage to applications to websites, and made to be easily accessed by people who need it. The ways to accomplish this are:

Data Center (In-house, Third Party, Colocation)

Dedicated Hosting

Cloud

Data Center: In a data center, customers store their own hardware. An in-house data center has its own people who are responsible for managing its own hardware, as well as the space, power, climate control and hardware maintenance. Colocation is also in this category alongside third party data centers. The key difference is the network and/or Internet service and connectivity is available within the same space.

Dedicated Hosting: Also known as Dedicated Hosting Service, Dedicated Server, or Managed Hosting Service is a type of hosting in which the client leases an entire physical server not shared with any other customers. The customer usually has either limited (Managed Hosting) or full control over the specification, administration, and management of the physical server(s). This allows the customer to focus solely on its applications, by placing responsibility for managing space, power, climate control, hardware ownership, and maintenance on the provider.

Cloud: Through the use of multiple physical servers hosting requirements can be met on demand with the elasticity and scalability of a virtual server environment. The cloud hosting environment can be offered as a private, public, or hybrid of public and private infrastructure. The shared, underlying, physical infrastructure is shared with other customers. With a definition of these managed hosting services, understanding the options becomes more discernible. For example, if there is no capital budget for equipment, in-house data centers will not be a good option. When a highly flexible and on-demand environment is needed, cloud will be the best choice.